Security Tips – What to keep in mind when it’s cold out
 
It’s getting cold out there! This year, remember that cold weather requires more than coats and scarves, you’ll also need to be prepared for security risks that are unique to the cold weather.
Luckily, we’ve put together some tips to help ensure that your business operations run smoothly even as the temperatures decline.
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Be prepared with winter supplies, i.e. ice salt and shovels. Open rain, sleet, snow, or shine? Make sure you have everything you need to keep your store accessible to customers!
Have mops, signage, and carpet ready in the front are of the store to reduce slips and falls. Reducing losses for your business includes mitigating the risk of an accident in your store. Take extra precautions to make sure the floor stays safe and dry.
Train employees on shoplifting awareness when it comes to customers wearing heavy coats and jackets. These make it easier for shoplifters to smuggle merchandise out of the store. Just being aware of this can help, if employees are keen to keep an eye out for extra-warm customers.
Ensure outside locks are not exposed to freezing weather. Use spray graphite and the key to clean the lock and lubricate it with a lubricant that won’t freeze quickly. These precautions will keep you from having to struggle to defrost a frozen lock.
Be ready with Plan B. Power outages due to winter weather can harm the productivity flow of your business. Have a generator or backup power source available to keep your business running no matter the weather.

Want more information on how to take care of potential risks in your business?
​Email us at marketing@sapphirerisk.com, and we’ll get your questions answered!

Be sure to share this article to help fellow managers and business owners get ready for the cold

The holiday season is here! Of course, we all know this is the busiest time of the year for retailers. Unfortunately, as revenue increases over the season, so do losses! The hustle and bustle of holiday chaos is the perfect atmosphere for potential shoplifting.

Here’s what you can do to deter shoplifting in your store this holiday season:

Train your employees on various holiday transactions. Gift card purchases and sale discounts make for a more complex operation, and these purchases are more common during the holidays. Train your employees on how to take care of these swiftly, so that they can spend less time distracted, and more time on the sales floor or speeding up the line.

Emphasize store organization and cleanliness. A messy store is more attractive to shoplifters, as it implies that there are not enough employees to pay attention to the sales floor.

​Stress customer service and engagement. Train employees to stay on the sales floor as often as they can. Engaging with customers, greeting customers as they enter, and being there to provide excellent customer service is one of the best ways to deter shoplifting. Shoplifters hate attention, which allows you to spoil your customers while preventing sticky fingers.

Train employees to check the merchandise they ring up. Employees should check containers, packages, and other merchandise that could be used to conceal stolen items at the point of sale.

Train employees on proper procedures for handling shoplifting. Tell employees never to accuse, chase, or place their hands on a shoplifter. Additionally, let your employees know of any specific guidelines your company has for apprehending shoplifters.

Share this article on social media to spread the word! And let us know if you have any stories or other ideas on how to prevent shoplifting this holiday season.
 
Be safe, and be profitable.
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Happy Holidays!

Black Friday is one of the Biggest shopping days of the year. Unfortunately, while you’re excited for all of the great deals, criminals are excited for all of the distracted shoppers. Fortunately, there are a few things you can do to make yourself a less desirable target for criminals this black Friday:     
 
Find a visible parking spot. Even if it takes a little longer, look for the best parking spot to deter break-ins. Look for a populated area that is well lit, and has maximum visibility.

Put down your cellphone. Criminals look for shoppers who are distracted – there an easier target. That’s why it’s important to stay alert and off your phone as you shop, and as you walk out to your car.

Make eye contact. If someone seems suspicious, it may be beneficial to make eye contact with them. This seems counter-intuitive, but making eye contact can deter a potential criminal from striking because they know they’ve been spotted. They will most likely look for an easier target, one that hasn’t had time to remember what they look like.